A. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a new and improved compact tacker for driving fasteners into a workpiece and to a latching device for latching a magazine assembly of the tacker in either a first, fastener driving position or in a second drive track clearing position.
B. Description of the Prior Art
A convenient tool for fastening articles is a hand held tacker device that may be employed to drive fasteners such as staples into a workpiece. Typical prior art tackers include a magazine that feeds a stick of fasteners such as staples into a drive track whereupon the fastener is driven by a driver blade into the workpiece.
The drive track within which the driver is reciprocated requires close tolerances in order to insure smooth and complete reciprocation of the driver. The driver is normally secured to a plunger that is mounted within a plunger guide in the nose portion of the driver. Prior art plunger guides normally include several parts defining the guide or track within which the plunger is reciprocated. Due to the close tolerances necessary, the multiple parts of the plunger guide including several plates in the prior art tackers require sophisticated manufacturing techniques in order to maintain the necessary tolerances.
During the operation of prior art tackers, it occurs on occasion that one of the fasteners is deformed or for some other reason is jammed within the drive track preventing operation of the tacker. This jammed fastener must be cleared from the drive track before the tacker may be continued to be used.
Several procedures have been employed in the past for clearing the track. Some prior art tackers include a nose portion pivotally attached to the body of the tacker. Upon release of a holding mechanism the nose portion may be pivoted away from the drive track allowing the staples to be removed. Other prior art tackers include a pivotally mounted magazine assembly that may be pivoted downward away from the tacker body allowing removal of the jammed fasteners.
The pivotally mounted nose or magazine assemblies in prior art tackers often times require multiple structural members to insure the securement of the pivotal portion to the housing during normal operation. In addition, the pivotal movement of the nose or the magazine from the tacker housing often is not sufficient to allow the insertion of a tool or a finger to remove the jammed staples requiring disassembly of the tacker in order to remove the jammed fasteners.